Jiangnan Gaiden

Chapitre 22

Ye Xiao was stunned for a moment, not understanding his meaning, but unwilling to lower himself to ask, for fear of disgracing his reputation for knowing everything. After thinking for a while, he swayed his shoulders and walked up to Luo Qingcheng, stretched out a finger, lifted his chin, and looked roguish.

"Young man... come keep this lady company... she'll treat you to a delicious meal..."

Luo Qingcheng's eyes suddenly turned cold: "Xiaoxiao... Has anyone ever harassed you like this? Who? I'll kill him!"

Ye Xiao looked at him blankly and shook her head: "I've observed the entire process of street thugs picking up girls..."

Luo Qingcheng rolled his eyes, his voice no longer friendly: "Let's do it again!"

Ye Xiao hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat aggrieved, then twisted her waist and revealed a charmingly worldly smile. She grabbed Luo Qingcheng's belt with one hand and said, "Master... Master, come here... I'm so lonely tonight... I miss you so much... Ah! Second brother, you..." She withdrew her hand, which had been painfully hit by Luo Qingcheng, with obvious grievance.

Luo Qingcheng's eyes were practically green with rage. "You even went to a brothel to observe?" Seeing Ye Xiao nod, his voice became hoarse with anger. "What kind of place is that! How dare you go there? You wild girl! You have no manners at all!"

Ye Xiao pouted, almost in tears, then suddenly reached out and hugged Luo Qingcheng's neck, sniffling, "I have no manners... My father doesn't like me... He scolds me all the time... Even you scold me... I..." A cunning glint flashed in her eyes, and she opened the paper packet in her hand, the itching powder about to fall onto Luo Qingcheng's neck.

Suddenly, a gentle force came, and her body felt light. She was sent flying out of the door, landing hard on her backside in the courtyard, unable to get up for a long time. What was even more infuriating was that after she flew out, the door slammed shut with a bang!

Ye Xiao finally got up from the ground after a long while, rubbing his swollen and sore buttocks, and yelled angrily, "Luo Qingcheng, you're in big trouble! Just you wait and see!"

Luo Qingcheng leaned against the door, panting heavily, completely unaware that he had just narrowly escaped danger, nor had he heard Ye Xiao's threat. He was simply startled by his own body's reaction, his mind a complete mess. It seemed he really was just too thirsty…

"Third brother, we..." Ye Xiao angrily found Xiao Xun and whispered in his ear. Xiao Xun shook his head, finally unable to resist Ye Xiao's coercion and enticement, and nodded with a wry smile.

The afternoon sun scorched the earth like a fireball, and a thin layer of mist rose from the lake, shrouding the pure white azure flowers, truly resembling paradise.

Luo Qingcheng found a shady spot, took off his long robe, placed it under a tree, and went into the water, letting the cool lake water wash away his sticky clothes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ye Xiao doing something furtively under the tree. Suddenly, he remembered what had happened yesterday, and his whole body turned red with embarrassment. He immersed himself in the water and hid, not daring to look at her again.

After Ye Xiao left, he quietly climbed out of the water, quickly dried himself off, and dressed.

Suddenly, she felt a burning, itchy pain all over her body and couldn't help but scratch a few times. She watched as large, red, and swollen welts quickly appeared on her body. She didn't expect it to be Ye Xiao's doing. Thinking that she had come into contact with something unclean, she immediately took off her long robe again and washed it in the water.

Just then, someone called out from behind, "Second Brother." Turning around, he saw Xiao Xun's somewhat embarrassed smile and said to him, "Third Brother, you've come at the right time. I think I've encountered something unclean. Can you take a look..." Suddenly, a numbness ran down his waist, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, looking at Xiao Xun in surprise: "Third Brother..."

Xiao Xun looked at him with difficulty: "Don't blame me, it was the boss's order..."

Luo Qingcheng turned her head, looking at Ye Xiao who slowly walked out from behind the tree with disbelief. Ye Xiao had a sinister smile on her face and shook her head with a roguish air: "You wanted to drug me! You wanted to become the boss! Today I'll let you taste the power of itching powder!"

Despite the unbearable pain and itching all over his body, Luo Qingcheng managed to squeeze out the words, "What □?" Suddenly, he felt a numbness in his neck, as if his speech acupoint had been pressed.

Xiao Xun then said to Ye Xiao, "Boss... you go first, I'll handle him..."

Ye Xiao grinned maliciously, rubbing his still-aching buttocks. "Give him a good spanking for me. Make sure it's swollen..."

Once out of Ye Xiao's sight, Xiao Xun looked at the shocked Luo Qingcheng with embarrassment: "Uh, well... this is what happened... I..." He recounted the whole story to Luo Qingcheng, concluding, "You absolutely can't blame me. I didn't know how to explain this to a young girl, so I just made it up on the spot. Who knew it would hurt you... I... I feel so guilty. Please don't hit me after I release your pressure points..."

Luo Qingcheng's eyes showed an unusual look of hurt and pain. He was panting heavily, his whole body was trembling, and large beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, instantly soaking his thin summer shirt.

Xiao Xun quickly released his pressure points and leaped far away, wary of Luo Qingcheng coming to beat him up.

But Luo Qingcheng didn't jump up as he expected. Instead, he struggled to tear open his clothes, reached inside to scratch, and after scratching twice, he got up again, seemingly wanting to walk towards the water. He struggled to take two steps before collapsing to the ground.

Xiao Xun was startled and rushed over to turn him over.

Luo Qingcheng lay there silently, large swirling welts covering his body. His skin was reddish-purple, then purplish-gray, and his whole being was shrouded in a deathly pallor.

Unable to contain his fear, he screamed, "Oh no! Boss! Second brother is dead!"

Ye Xiao didn't go far, but waited nearby to hear Luo Qingcheng's screams. However, there was no sound for a long time. Just as she was wondering, she heard Xiao Xun shout, and a bolt from the blue struck her, making her tremble with fear.

She rushed to Luo Qingcheng's side and saw that he was in a terrible state. She checked his breathing and found that he was only exhaling and not inhaling. She was heartbroken and overwhelmed with grief. She hugged him and cried out, feeling extremely distressed.

Fortunately, Xiao Xun remained calm, shocked but not flustered. Remembering the mysterious and enigmatic herbalist, he reminded Ye Xiao, "Boss, should we send the second brother to that herbalist?"

The door remained ajar. The blazing sunlight streamed into the garden, creating a blinding glare that made it almost impossible to see clearly.

The herbalist, who had seemed lifeless before, was now leisurely pruning the flower branches under the shade of the tree.

Xiao Xun carried the limp Luo Qingcheng in like a whirlwind, put her down on the ground, and shouted, "Someone's dead! Someone's dead! Doctor, your medicine is killing people!"

The herbalist ignored him, cut off a hibiscus branch, and sighed.

Ye Xiao looked at him with grief and indignation: "You doctor! The itching powder you gave me yesterday killed my brother!"

The herbalist slowly shifted his gaze to Ye Xiao, his eyes brightening slightly. He then looked at Luo Qingcheng on the ground, made a few dismissive gestures, and continued pruning the flowers.

The child beside him spoke up: "You used too much! His constitution is sensitive, that's why he's like this. But he won't die! He'll just be left with some disabilities or aftereffects, like becoming paralyzed or mentally challenged..."

"What?" Ye Xiao jumped up, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But why didn't you tell me? Your medicine has harmed people! I'm going to sue you!"

The herbalist seemed taken aback when he saw Ye Xiao's tears. His piercing gaze fell on Luo Qingcheng on the ground, and he suddenly made a few sarcastic gestures.

“I didn’t sell you the medicine; you stole it yourself. I haven’t even accused you of theft yet… and you’re the one making the accusation first…” The child’s voice was slow and deliberate, neither arrogant nor humble, but rather mature and sophisticated, as if the old doctor had possessed him. The two men felt a chill run down their spines.

Ye Xiao was so angry she was dizzy, but she could barely distinguish between what was important and what was urgent. "I remember you seem to have an antidote, sir. Give it to him quickly! Otherwise, I..."

The herbalist forced a cold smile and impatiently gestured, "He won't die." A flash of cold light appeared in his hand, and several golden needles pierced Luo Qingcheng's body. Luo Qingcheng let out a soft cry and woke up. His whole body trembled in pain, and he scratched at himself, soon becoming covered in blood.

Ye Xiao rushed over, grabbing his hand sadly. Seeing his scattered and struggling eyes, she panicked and lost all strength, pleading, "Please, sir, save him..."

The herbalist stood coldly to one side, watching the two of them, and made a few hand gestures.

“There is an antidote. But it’s very expensive, two hundred taels of silver per pill. He needs to take three pills in total, one a day. In addition, I will give him acupuncture, and he will be fine.”

Xiao Xun jumped up immediately: "Two hundred taels of silver per grain! This is robbery!"

The herbalist sneered, "I didn't force you, it was entirely voluntary... You can choose for yourself, whether you want it or not."

Xiao Xun was so angry that his vision blurred: "I understand now! You deliberately gave us this itching powder yesterday so you could extort money from us today... And you call yourself a doctor! Don't you have any conscience at all!"

Upon hearing this, the doctor, instead of being angry, laughed, pointed to the plaque above the door, and chuckled silently.

The little boy beside her chuckled sweetly, "It's clearly written on the door. Why didn't you read it carefully when you were allowed in?"

Xiao Xun looked up in surprise at the word "恳" (kěn, meaning "earnest"): "What does it mean?"

The little boy said proudly, "The character '恳' (kěn) can be read as a sentence from top to bottom, and as a sentence from bottom to top."

"What?"

"From bottom to top, yes, they only fear lacking gold and silver. From top to bottom, yes, they have no conscience at all! I clearly wrote it: for money, they can abandon all conscience!"

The child's voice was clear and melodious, like pearls falling to the ground, like the warbling of a nightingale.

Illusory Flower Mind-Capturing Array

Xiao Xun was furious and jumped up with a whoosh: "You have no conscience at all! How dare you say that! It seems you have been running rampant for more than a day! Watch how I deal with you today, you heartless doctor who takes advantage of people's misfortunes, and rid the people of this scourge!" With that, he was about to pounce on the doctor.

The doctor sneered coldly, showing no fear whatsoever, and continued to cut off a hibiscus and place it in the small basket beside him.

Xiao Xun was even more furious and was about to pounce when he heard Luo Qingcheng's hoarse and weak voice: "Third brother, no!" Then he felt something tugging at his sleeve and turned around to see Ye Xiao's pleading look: "Qingcheng's life is more important, third brother, you should hold back for now..."

He had no choice but to angrily stop and stand there, finding the doctor's face increasingly repulsive.

Ye Xiao took out six hundred taels of silver notes from her pocket and respectfully handed them to the doctor. The doctor didn't reach out to take them, continuing to leisurely prune the flowers as if it were none of his business. The young boy beside her spoke with obvious disdain: "That's just the price of the pills. To cure it completely, you need acupuncture. Each acupuncture session costs one hundred taels of silver... plus a one hundred tael consultation fee, that's a total of one thousand taels. Miss, do you think my master's treatment is free?"

Xiao Xun jumped up again, only to be held back by Ye Xiao once more, finally paying the full thousand taels of silver. The doctor then smiled silently, stuffing a pill into Luo Qingcheng's mouth, his golden needles swiftly piercing through his eight extraordinary meridians. Luo Qingcheng trembled in agony, sweat pouring down his face, enduring the pain, his teeth nearly grinding to powder. He fainted several times, only to be revived by the doctor's needles. Ye Xiao and Ye Xiao watched helplessly, feeling his pain deeply, their hearts aching with regret for their rashness.

During this time, Xiao Xun jumped up again and uttered wild words. The doctor ignored him, but the boy said coolly from the side, "The doctor is focused on treating the patient and should not be disturbed. If there is any mistake, the person may be ruined..." Xiao Xun immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word.

Finally, the doctor tossed over a jar of ointment, instructing Luo Qingcheng to apply it all over his body to relieve pain and itching. He arranged to come over in the next two days to administer acupuncture. Xiao Xun silently carried Luo Qingcheng on his back and left, muttering as he went outside, "That doctor! I don't believe I can't find a chance to teach him a lesson! Once the second son recovers, I..."

Luo Qingcheng's hoarse voice rang out, "No. Judging from that doctor's footwork, the internal force he used to shoot the golden needles, and the precision with which he controlled the force, this person possesses extremely high martial arts skills. Third Brother might not be his match. We are already surrounded by powerful enemies; we cannot afford to easily make enemies..."

Xiao Xun was stunned for a moment: "Really?"

Although the herbalist was unscrupulous, his medical skills were decent, and he was quite trustworthy. He indeed came to administer acupuncture as promised for the next two days, each time causing Luo Qingcheng excruciating pain, leaving the other two heartbroken and terrified. This man also had another quirk: he always carried a small basket of hibiscus flowers, fiddling with a sprig whenever he felt like it, before finally tossing it into the courtyard. Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun were busy caring for Luo Qingcheng and had no time to deal with him, so they could only let him be.

For three days, Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun were busy taking care of him, showing unprecedented thoughtfulness. However, Luo Qingcheng refused to appreciate their kindness and spent most of his time lying in bed, resting with his eyes closed, refusing to speak no matter how much Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun tried to persuade him.

Three days later, at dawn, Luo Qingcheng packed his belongings and stood up. Smoke curled from the small golden incense burner on the table, quickly blurring his vision. He sighed softly and opened the door.

A small figure stood in the courtyard, and upon seeing him, gave him a nervous yet ingratiating smile: "Qingcheng, where are you going? Can you take me with you?"

Luo Qingcheng slowly shifted his gaze. In the courtyard, a large white lotus flower had bloomed, its pale yellow center resembling a jade bowl holding amber wine. "I want to leave."

Ye Xiao felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, and her bright eyes suddenly dimmed: "Are you really angry? It was just a joke... I didn't expect it to turn out like this... I've already said sorry a thousand times..."

"I heard you."

"Then why won't you forgive me? It's not like it's the first time I've bullied you..." Ye Xiaoxiao's face was full of trouble.

Luo Qingcheng looked away again: "Precisely because it's not the first time. But everything has its limits."

Ye Xiao stamped her foot in annoyance: "I know I went too far this time and made you suffer a lot. Can you forgive me this time for all the happy times we spent together?"

Luo Qingcheng reached out and touched the pure white hibiscus flower: "I don't want to wrong my heart. My heart wants to leave..."

"You..." Ye Xiao paused, hesitating whether to say those words.

To everyone's surprise, Luo Qingcheng reacted quickly: "A stingy and mean man."

Ye Xiao slowly lowered her head: "So stingy."

Luo Qingcheng nodded: "I'm sorry."

Ye Xiao turned around and slowly walked into the house, then suddenly stopped: "Shan'er is all dressed up, you should take her with you."

Luo Qingcheng was slightly taken aback: "Thank you."

He led Shan'er out the door. A tall figure stood silently at the entrance: "Second brother? Or, Young Master Luo?"

Luo Qingcheng nodded lightly: "Good morning. Out for a walk?"

Xiao Xun laughed heartily: "What are you doing wandering around? I was just waiting to see you one last time. Last night, the boss said you were angry and wanted to leave, and he was right. Go in peace, I'll take good care of the boss. Let me know when you become a live-in son-in-law. Oh, by the way." He suddenly reached out and handed him a small porcelain bottle.

"What?" Luo Qingcheng did not reach out to take it.

"Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill. The boss said you suffered a lot this time, and your vital energy was damaged. You need to replenish it..." After saying that, he handed him the small porcelain bottle. "I've finished what the boss instructed... You should leave quickly. Don't get in my way here..."

Luo Qingcheng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly said angrily, "When have I ever gotten in your way? Xiaoxiao has always been biased towards you... I've always been an outsider, a suspect... someone you can bully at will..."

Before he could finish venting his grievances, Xiao Xun quickly made a gesture to shoo him away, hurriedly went inside, and closed the door behind him.

Luo Qingcheng was so angry he almost broke down the door, but after thinking for a long time, he finally slunk away.

Gradually fading away. The cicadas in the trees chirped loudly, one long note after another, reveling in the last days of summer. Suddenly, a long pole covered in gluten reached out stealthily. The cicadas' chirping abruptly stopped, turning into short, panicked cries.

Ye Xiao angrily threw the cicadas into the cloth bag and said viciously, "Scream, squeal, squeal! So annoying! Arrest you all and deep-fry you to go with your drinks!"

A cool voice said from the side, "Boss, I know you're upset that that stingy man left, but you don't need to take it out on Zhiliao. He was carefree and happy! You're such a spoilsport! ...To Zhiliao."

Ye Xiao immediately turned her anger on him: "Is it hot today?! It's so annoying to hear such a shrill scream! Then you should find a quiet and cool place!"

Xiao Xun smiled: "What's so difficult about that? I already asked. Enjoying the moon by boat at night is one of the great scenic spots of Langjing Manor. It's also the origin of the name Langjing Manor, which means 'the moon reflected in the water.' Why don't we rent a small boat tonight?"